tidwell



Nov. 25, 1958 H. R. TIDWELL WATCH HOLDER INVENTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov 29 1956 ATTORNEYS Nov. 25, 1958 H. TIDWELL 2,861,763

' WATCH HOLDER Filed Nov. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY fit f; WATCH HOLDER Harry R. Tidwell, Smithville, Tex. Application Novemberj29, 1956, Serial No. 625,096

2Claims. or. 248-116) I The present invention; relates to watch holder and has for an object to provide a frame in which a watch may be accommodated for the purpose of holding the watch in an erector substantially erect position upon a dresser, night table or the like so that at night the watch may serve in place of a clock.. E 1

. It is another object of the invention to provide a watch holder into and from which the watch may be received and removed in an, easy and simple manner, and which when in position in the holder; will support the watch dial in ja favorable position for, being. clearly' viewed from a position in front of the 'holder.

The invention has for its further purpose to dispensev The base member 15 is provided with a socket 17 for receiving the watch while the crystal or lens 11 registers with an aperture or openings in the front member 16. The rear -wall 19 of the socket 17 is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly flared or inclined surface terminating upwardly in a top edge 21 of the wall 19 which constitutes a-fulcrum line on which the watch 1 case may be rocked in the act of inserting and removing the same.

As shown more particularly in Figure 2, side extensions 22 of the base member 15 rise above this fulcrum dicated at 23, and in Figure 2 it will be seen that these upper edges 23 terminate substantially below the upper in Figure 3.

be 'readilydislodged evenby the dropping of the holder with the watch in place.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention ,will .be, more, fully; lde'scribed hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a watch holder constructed in accordance with the present inventionillustrating a watch in place therein.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the same taken on a slightly enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken through the holder with the watch therein.

Figure 4 is a similar view with the watch removed.

Figure 5 is an end elevational view taken on a smaller scale of the watch holder showing the manner of introducing or removing the watch.

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the holder and the watch showing an alternative method of placing the watch in the holder.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing an alternative method of removing the watch from the holder.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates a watch case having a crystal or lens 11, a bezel 12, a stem 13 and a ring or bail 14.

The improved holder comprises generally two members 15 and 16, at least one of which is resilient, although both may be of resilient material, for instance wood.

In the single embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the rear or base member 15 is non-resilient, being made of a block of wood of substantial thickness with its lower edge substantially flat to rest upon a dresser, night table or other suitable support.

The front member 16 may be of a more resilient wood or may be thinner in cross-section as indicated so as to retain the inherent character of elasticity.

' edge of the resilient front member 16.

A beveled ring 18 of the resilient front member 16 surrounds the aperture 18 and is provided to be engaged by the bezel 12 of the watch as shown more particularly This beveled ring 18 defines the aperture 18.

In Figure 4 particularly, it will be noted that the base A of the socket 17 lies below the lower portion B of the beveled ring 18*. B is such that the beveled ring 18 will engage the bezel at a higher point than the lowest part of the watch case which lies in the bottom A; ofthe'socket 17.

Also the distance between the beveled ring 18 and the rear socket wall 19 will preferably be somewhat less than the thicknessof the watch casing 10 with the result that when the ,watch' is 'in place as indicated in Figure 3, the resilient front member; 16 will be slightly elastically stressed. I I

The front wallofthe base member 15 is preferably inclined asshown at C in Figure 4 so that the front memcommodate the watch in an inclined position in the holder as shown to best advantage in Figures 1 and 3.

The front surface of the front member 16 may be given an attractive external finish.

In the use of the device, the proprietor of the item or watch holder may carry his watch about with him all day and at night before retiring, the watch may be inserted in the holder, one manner for so doing being that indicated in Figure 5 wherein the watch is introduced into the upper open mouth of the socket by causing the watch to assume a diagonal position with its lower portion leading, and the rear surface of the case sliding on the surfaces 20 and 21, the latter serving as a fulcrum line about which the watch case 10 may be tilted from the position of Figure 5 to that of Figure 3 in the act of bringing it home into the socket 17. In other words the watch will slide downwardly gradually being turned on the surface 20 by the beveled ring 18 As it turns on the fulcrum line 21 in a counterclockwise direction, the rear portion of the case will engage the flared surface 20 which will tend to guide the same downwardly and forwardly and at the same time tend to further rotate the watch in a counterclockwise direction. The final act in clinching the watch in the holder may be accomplished by forcing downwardly upon the crown 13, such act tending to slightly displace the unsupported portion of the front wall 16 forwardly so that the resilient tension thereof will react to push the watch tightly against the rear socket wall 19 and thus lock the watch in place, the forward portion of the crown 13 entering the recess 24 in the upper rear surface of the front member 16.

In removing the watch from the holder the operations 7 Patented Nov. 25, 1958 The relationship between A'and may be reversed but due to the fact that the back wall 19 of the socket terminates at a point substantially below the stem of the watch when the Watch is in the holder, pressure may be exerted by the thumb, as indicated in Figure 5 upon the upper portion of the crystal 11 of the watch opposite the unsupported rear portion of the watch case which extends up above the fulcrum line 21. This will serve to rock the watch in a clockwise direction first on the surface 20 and then on the fulcrum line 21. The thumb may at the same time push the watch upwardly while thefingers of the same hand pass about the rear portion of the base member 15 for the purpose of sustaining the watch holder in the hand. When reaching the position of Figure 5, the other hand of the operator may grasp the crown 13 or the ring 14 and pull the watch upwardly and outwardly in a diagonal direction to free the same completely from the holder.

It will be noted particularly from Figure 2 that the front resilient member 16 is unsupported, that is free of the rear block member 15 above the fulcrum line 21 and above the upper edges 23 of the lateral extensions 22. This leaves the member 16 free to be elastically stressed whereby when the watch is forced down to the home position of Figure 3, the lower portion of the beveled ring 18 constituting the lip B will cause the watch to be snapped into the socket 17.

Referring more particularly to Figure 6 which shows an alternative mode of placing the watch in the holder, it will be noted that the holder is initially placed in the left hand while the watch is held in the right hand by its ring. The watch is inserted downwardly into the holder as indicated. The thumb of the left hand is placed at the bottom of the watch or at the 6 oclock position. By exerting pressure on the watchs stem and working the left thumb from bottom to top of watch, the watch can be easily inserted into the holder.

' Referring more particularly to Figure 7 which shows an alternative method of removing the watch from the holder, the holder is held in the left hand as indicated while the watch ring is grasped by the right hand. The

4 thumb of the left hand is placed at the top of the watch or at the 12 oclock position. By exerting pressure with the thumb and pulling by the ring the watch can be easily removed. In the process the thumb is worked from the top to the bottom of the watch as it is removed from the holder.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A watch holder for a pocket watch comprising a substantially rigid rear block having a socket therein open at its front and upper portions, said socket being bounded rearwardly by a rear wall terminating in an upwardly rearwardly inclined surface along a line at a point substantially above the middle of a pocket watch when in the socket, and a resilient thin front Wall secured to the front surface of said rear block member, said front wall having an opening therethrough coaxial with said socket for viewing the watch crystal, the upper portion of said opening in said front wall lying above said line of said rear block, and said front wall being unsupported throughout the area of the socket so as to be elastically stressed by the watch as the same enters the socket.

2, A watch holder as claimed in claim 1 characterized by the fact that said front wall has a recess in the upper portion of its rear surface in position to receive the forward portion of the Watch crown when the watch is in the home position in the socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,623,749 Pelkey-;... Apr. 5, 1927 1,765,971 Earl June 25, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 581,020 Great Britain Sept. 27, 1946 

